


gorgeous

by fir8008



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Dystopia, Gen, Songfic, The Giver AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-26
Updated: 2017-07-26
Packaged: 2018-12-07 04:09:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11615568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fir8008/pseuds/fir8008
Summary: Baekhyun has never seen a tall person in his life.(a The Giver-esque AU)Originally part of an abandoned drabble challenge





	gorgeous

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter originally published on AsianFanfics as part of a collection entitled "Twenty-Five" on October 31, 2013

_ In a perfect world, in another time, in a far off place we wouldn’t need to justify everything we are and all that we believe. We can finally be whoever we both want to be. _

 

Baekhyun had never seen a  _ tall _ person in his life. After the crash of civilization, the world rebuilt under the premise of unity in every way. This included genetically altering the appearances of the new generation. Girls had long hair. Boys had short hair. Differences between the genders were maintained, but nothing else. Name tags were the only distinguishing features. Those who had been deemed genetically deviant – those whose genes did not take to the modifications, were locked away outside the communes. 

At the age of fifteen, each person was assigned to community service. Baekhyun was assigned to the genetic deviancy hospital, where he was paired with a patient named Park Chanyeol. Chanyeol was tall, he towered a good head above average Baekhyun, and had a wide mouth, big eyes, large hands and feet and limbs, and unruly curly hair. Baekhyun was cowed by Chanyeol’s appearance. He was more unsettled by how friendly Chanyeol was. Baekhyun was taught these deviants were inherently evil… so how could one such deviant be so docile and sweet?

 

_ And when we can’t be heard, when we can’t be seen, I will call you close and you will reach for me. _

 

Baekhyun found himself questioning why people like Chanyeol were kept away from the rest of society. The textbooks told him it was differences that tore the First Earth apart, so unity above all was the only way to ensure the Second Earth’s survival. Yet Chanyeol, and the others kept in the hospital, didn’t seem at all inclined to declare war on the genetically constant.

“We’re here,” Chanyeol whispered to Baekhyun, “because our DNA rejected the changes. People aren’t supposed to look different.”

“Unity above all,” Baekhyun whispered back.

 

_ When all of the beauty turns to pain, when all of the madness falls like rain, as long as we crash and we collide, we will be gorgeous you and I. _

 

Baekhyun decided to give a little more credit to his textbooks. After dozing off while sitting with Chanyeol, Baekhyun awoke to flames licking up the walls of the hospital.

“Chanyeol!” Baekhyun shouted. “Chanyeol, where are you?”

“Here, Baekhyun, I’m here!” Chanyeol shouted back.

Baekhyun covered his mouth and nose and he stumbled through the fiery room towards the voice. Chanyeol’s large hand seized Baekhyun’s arm. He was smiling crazily. “They finally did it! Jongdae set fire to it all. The whole thing’s coming down!”

“With us inside!” Baekhyun wheezed.

“No, no, there’s a secret exit! Jongdae found it a few months ago. It’s for deliveries. Come on!”

 

_ And when we are drowning in the noise, I’m going to stop and find your voice. As long as we crash and we collide, we will be gorgeous, you and I. _

 

Baekhyun snuck back into the commune after the fire. The news reported that all inside the hospital had perished, but this was untrue. Baekhyun, Chanyeol, and a handful of the genetically deviant had escaped alive. The deviants had set up a camp a few miles away from the commune’s gates. Baekhyun was the only genetically regular person to escape the hospital inferno. He was only welcome in the camp because of Chanyeol.

“Let’s kill him.” Jongdae, the makeshift leader, suggested. “He’s one of  _ them _ .”

“Jongdae,” Chanyeol began.

“How can we let him walk away? He’ll go back to the commune and he’ll send the police after us! We’ll all be dead. He’s one of them, Chanyeol. Remember? His kind kept us in that hell and tortured us all! Don’t you remember there were more of us before we started dying? Before they started killing us?”

“I remember, Jongdae. But out new world can’t be built on the mark of Cain.”

“His kind…”

“Is now our kind. Do you think he wanted to be genetically altered? None of us had any choice. Let him go, Jongdae.”

“The dogs will be out soon anyway. No one thinks we all really died. They’ll be hunting us soon.”

 

_ Through the window pane, through the bedroom door, this city wants to fight but it can’t touch us anymore. We have come so far and we have shed our skin. The more that’s taken from us now the more we have to give. _

 

Baekhyun returned to the camp. Chanyeol was his only friend. The others bristled at him. Their variations made Baekhyun dizzy. He was unaccustomed to their differences.

“I want to show you something.” Chanyeol pulled out a thin book. “This is a relic from First Earth. Jongdae says it was called a yearbook. It was from schools.” He opened it and turned to a page full of faces – different faces. “Before the crash, people were  _ unique _ . Jongdae found that word in a First Earth dictionary.”

“I don’t know that word – unique.”

“It means different and special. It means good.” Chanyeol smiled.

“But it was differences that caused the crash…”

“Says the people in charge. Who knows why the crash happened?” Chanyeol shook his head. “Jongdae is going to start a war. He’s going to end this world and make a new one.”

“But why?” Baekhyun’s eyes began to water.

Chanyeol wiped at his damp eyes. “Because, Baekhyun. The new world we’re going to create is going to be… gorgeous. Because people will be allowed to be different. And we will be unique.”

“I want to be a part of that world.” Baekhyun said.

“I want you there too, Baekhyun.”

 

_ And when I lose my faith, I don’t know what to do, you lift me to this place and make me feel so beautiful. As long as you’re right here by my side, we will be gorgeous you and I _ .


End file.
